It is well known to use aerosol spray cans for dispensing marking compositions. For example, aerosol spray cans are often used for marking or striping parking lots, construction sites, sporting fields, and factory floors. Devices have been developed for use with aerosol spray cans which allow a person making such marks or stripes to actuate the valve of a pressurized aerosol spray can. These devices are often integrated into a molded cap with means for attachment to the aerosol spray can. These devices further allow the discharge of the marking compositions from the spray can to be manually controlled by the user.
Previous methods and devices for aerosol spray can actuation use cap assemblies consisting of several pieces. This previous method suffers from several deficiencies. Cap assemblies consisting of multiple pieces have a higher associated manufacturing cost, and are also prone to damage or wear through extensive use. Other previous methods for spray can cap assemblies are prone to accidental sideways discharge of the marking composition. An aerosol spray can may be actuated by displacing the valve-actuator angularly away from its normal vertical orientation. This property of common aerosol spray cans allows for the valve-actuator to be displaced from its closed vertical position at any number of given angles. In other words, the valve-actuator can be tipped away from the spray can's longitudinal axis at any radial angle. This often results in accidental sideways discharge of marking composition in previous spray can actuator devices.
Pressurized aerosol spray cans can be remotely supported and actuated by devices such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,148 and incorporated herein by reference as if set forth in full herein. Such remote actuating devices guide the spray can into the proper position based on an annular ridge built into the top of certain aerosol spray cans. However, not every aerosol spray can contains such a ridge, and therefore these aerosol spray cans are not compatible with remote spray can actuators as described above.
Therefore, there is a continuing need for an inexpensive, single-body construction device for an aerosol spray can actuator that allows for compatibility with various different styles and sizes of aerosol spray can actuators, and further reduces the occurrence of accidental sideways discharge.